??? Today, as a greener means of transportation, bike-sharing is becoming more and more popular in many cities. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Students generally find it difficult to prepare for a speaking test because they have nobody to practise ___(A)___ or correct their mistakes. But that doesn't mean you can’t test yourself.

Whether you're taking an end-of-course test or an official (官方的) exam like PET or IELTS, there's one great tool you can use: your mobile phone. Nearly every smartphone these days has an inbuilt recording feature (内置录音功能) which you can use to test your speaking skills. You can record yourself speaking, play the recording back, and correct your own mistakes.

I practised this way in Italian. I chose some speaking questions from PET and did the exercise three times. The first time, I made a few grammar mistakes and didn't speak for long enough. The second time was a bit better, and the third time was nearly perfect.

All in all, I made a real improvement with my grammar, pronunciation and how long I spoke. Also, recording myself put me under the pressure (压力) I would experience during an important speaking test.

Many students found this method ___(B)___. Nelia, from Brazil, said that she could hear her mistakes when she listened to her voice. She was mainly using the wrong verb tense (时态) and using prepositions(介词) incorrectly. When she tried the exercise again, she got its right! Donghyeon, from South Korea, said that the exercise helped him to improve his English skills in general.

1.How to test your speaking skills with a smartphone?(根据原文回答)

______________________________________________________________

2.Are the questions the writer chose from an end-of-course test or an official exam?

Today skateboarding is popular around the world. Many young people like the sport, and so 1.(do) Marcelo Lusardi. However, the young man is quite different from many others -- he is a blind skateboarder.

Marcelo was born in Argentina, and now he lives in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He used to live an easy life but everything changed when he went blind in 2015. He felt 2.(hope), as he couldn't imagine living without sight (视力).3.(Luck), a friend of his4. (father) stepped in and helped him out. Thanks to her help, Marcelo was able 5.(accept) his condition and started getting out more.

Marcelo went to the skate park he had often visited. At first, he thought skating was out of the question for a blind man like him. But his skateboarding friends 6.(tell) him he was still one of them and he had to get back on the skateboard. They helped him learn to use his other senses except sight 7.( ride )the skateboard again and even try out some new tricks.

Looking back, Marcelo thought8.(lose) his sight helped him realize who he is and what he wants to do. “People sometimes have problems and think that's the end of the world, but in the end you can solve these problems. Look at me, I was skating, then I went blind, and now I 9.(skate) again. Not as well as before, but I can still do it and leave people with their mouths10. (open).” So, remember: Everything has a solution in life.

It's hard to believe that a beautiful silk dress comes from thousands of very little worms (虫子)called silkworms! It takes about 5,500 silkworms to make 2.2 pounds of silk. The process (工序) was _______ by the Chinese about 5,000 years ago.

_______ is silk made? The process starts with silkworm eggs. The eggs are collected and kept warm. After a few days, silkworms come out of the eggs. They are_______ leaves from mulberry trees every 30 minutes, all night and all day. The room _______ be kept warm, without loud noises or bad smells. After a month, they start to make cocoons (茧). After four days, the cocoons are ________

The cocoons are heated (加热), and the silkworms are killed inside them. Then the cocoons are put into water to make the silk loose (松散的). The silk_______ three or four cocoons is put together and made into a thread (线). One cocoon can make a thread 1 kilometre long!_______, the silk threads are made into cloth, and the cloth is used for things like dresses, scarves and neckties.

Today, silk is produced in many _______, including India and Thailand, but more than 80 percent of the world's silk comes from China. Every year, enough silk thread is ______ to go from the earth to the sun 300 times. People love silk clothes because they are beautiful and _________--silk feels cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather. Now you know why silk is so expensive!

Littering is a big problem in cities around the world. People know it does harm to the environment, but few do something for years to make a difference. However, "Butt Lady" sets an example to all.

The true name of "Butt Lady" is Sally Dawly. She lives in Auburn, a city in California, US.1. because she had spent most of her free time picking up cigarette butts (香烟头) from the streets of her city. After picking up one million cigarette butts in three and a half years, she has set a new goal for herself-two million cigarette butts.

Dawly got tired of going on her walks and seeing cigarette butts everywhere, so in 2014 she started to take action. Armed（装备）with a broom(扫帚), dustpan and a pair of tongs, the anti-littering activist walked down the streets in search of cigarette butts, picked them up and threw them in the trash can. To see how many butts she picks up, the Butt Lady has been using a counting device (装置).2. after picking up as many as 3,000 butts a day. She said she wanted to shout "Come on people. Don't throw your butts.3.."

Dawly knows it's not easy to completely solve her city's cigarette butt littering problem in no time, but she hopes her efforts will help smokers think twice before throwing away butts on the street.4. as she has got more and more supporters in the city.

??? Kids in primary schools in Bellaire, Ohio, US have something to sing about. For the past several years, public primary schools in that town didn't offer music classes. They didn't have the money to pay for them. But now they have got the money to bring back music.

Many school officials (行政官员) across the US say music classes get students excited about going to school. Also, studies have shown that music classes may boost brainpower (促进脑力). For example, researchers from the University of Southern California did a study. They found that the brains of 10 and11-year-olds who learned to play a musical instrument developed faster than the brains of kids who didn't.

Though most people aren't opposed to teaching music in schools, not everyone says it's necessary. Many school teachers say that learning music means less time spent on maths, writing and science, all of which may be more useful to students later in life. Here's what two kids think.

Music should be taught in school for the simple reason that it makes learning more fun. We have music classes at my school, and I love them! In 2018, a research company called Grunwald Associates did a survey (调查) on music education. More than 60% of parents whose kids took music classes in school said their child is more focused (专注的).

Noah

At my school, we don't have music classes. I think that's OK because it gives us more time to focus on main subjects, like reading and maths. It's more important to learn these subjects than it is to learn how to play a musical instrument. If someone wants to take music classes, he or she can do it outside of school. I take piano classes after school, so it doesn't take time away from my other classes.

Sophia

1.Paragraph 2 uses an example to show that________.

A. students in the US like going to school

B. students in the US like taking music classes

C. music classes are good for students' brain development

D. 10 and 11-year-olds learn to play musical instruments faster

2.What do the underlined words "opposed to" in Paragraph 3 mean in Chinese?

A. 理解B. 精通C. 研究D. 反对

3.Which of the following does Noah probably agree with?

A. Music adds fun to learning.B. Schools should do music research.

C. Music is useful to students later in life.D. Schools should make music classes simple.

4.What can we learn about Sophia?

A. She hates reading and maths.B. She thinks it is boring to play the piano.

C. She goes home immediately after school.D. She studies in a school without music class

Rahanna Bisseret Martinez is a 13-year-old chef(厨师) from Cambridge, UN. Early this year, she took part in "Top Chef Junior", a cooking competition show for 12 chefs, ages 11 to 14, from all over England. Rahanna finished second in the competition. Here is an interview with her.

Reporter: How did you get into cooking?

Rahanna: My earliest memories are of being in the kitchen and cooking. But I started working on recipes (食谱) at 10 years old.

Reporter: What is your favourite recipe?

Rahanna: I like to cook everything. I really like to cook whatever I haven't cooked before.

Reporter:? _______

Rahanna: I'm better about making sure I have my ingredients (原料) in order. I' m able to work a lot faster in the kitchen.

Reporter: How did you get on the show?

Rahanna: I went to London for a boot camp (集训营). There were 20 to 25 children, and we all had little challenges (挑战) that we had to do, showing our skills. They whittled the group down each day and the top 12 got to go on the show.

Reporter: What's next for you?

Rahanna: I'll be looking for a part-time job in a restaurant kitchen. I'm also working on a book. It'll be more than just a cookbook, there'll be surprises too!

1.What can we learn about "Top Chef Junior"?

A. 14 kids took part.B. Rahanna won first place.

C. It took place in Cambridge, UN.D. It is a national cooking competition.

2.Which question can be put in _______

A. Who cooks best in your family?B. What did you learn from being on the show?

C. Are you satisfied with what you did on the show?D. Any advice for kids who are interested in cooking?

Children are amazing! They pick up languages so naturally and easily. Have you ever why? It’s because of the way they learn.

Children learn by doing what comes naturally---they listen, copy, and talk. Let’s take a closer look at how children learn languages. Perhaps we can d1. a better, more natural way to learn English.

Listen as often as possible. When people talk to children, they often use s2. words that children can understand. That’s really important to the children’s language development. In order to learn, children must be able to understand what they hear. If they don’t understand it, it’s just m3. noise. Listen to radio or TV programs that use English at your level. If you r4.that you can’t understand every word or sentence, don’t give up. Just pay attention to what you can understand. And listen as often as you can.

Be a Copycat. Children like to copy their parents, their friends or other r5.. This helps teach them how to pronounce the language. As you listen to English, repeat what you hear as much as p6..

Use English to talk. O7. to those who usually practice grammar rules, some students use language to talk about things they are interested in. This helps them learn to express themselves d8.. They don’t worry about their small vocabulary or poor grammar.

Students should also pay more attention to real c9.. So try your best to communicate by talking with people in English. If you can’t find a foreigner to talk to, talk with other English students i10.. Start an English discussion group and talk about music, movies and so on. Don’t worry about making mistakes. You can learn English better by correcting mistakes.

??? Have you ever been to Singapore? For many Chinese tourists, this small island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful place to take a holiday. On the one hand, more than seventy-five percent of population are of Chinese descent, so you can simply speak Putonghua a lot of time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country.

Maybe you fear that you won’t be able to find anything you want to eat in a foreign country. In Singapore, however, you’ll find a lot of Chinese food. It’s easy for you to find rice, noodles, or dumplings. If you’re feeling very brave, Singapore is an excellent place to try new food. Whether you like Indian food, Western food, or Japanese food, you’ll find them all in Singapore.

One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature is almost the same all year round t seldom drops below 20℃. It’s warm and wet the whole year This is because it is so close to the equator. So you can choose to go whenever you like—spring, summer, autumn or winter! And, of course, it’s not too far from China. For those who enjoy the sun and the beach, Singapore is an ideal place.

On the northeast coast of Singapore, Changi Village is far from the noise of central Singapore. The buildings are modern, but there’s still a village terminal (晚期的) atmosphere. There’s a small, attractive seaside camp site across the Changi Creek from the bus terminal, where you can watch the planes gliding into Changi airport while relaxing on the sand.

Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a night zoo called the “Night Safari”. It might seem strange to go to a zoo when it’s dark. But if you’ve ever been to a zoo during the daytime, you might understand why Night Safari is so special. A lot of animals only wake up at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in more natural environment than a normal zoo.

Location

A small island which lies in the southeast of Asia.

It is very 1. the equator.

Population

Over three 2. of population are of Chinese descent.

You can communicate with most local people in Putonghua 3. difficulty.

4.

You can 5. find Chinese food.

If you are brave 6. to try new food, Singapore is the right place.

Temperature

The temperature stays almost 7. 20℃ all year around.

You can choose to go there in any 8. because of the climate.

Sight

Changi Village

Unlike 9. central Singapore, it is a quiet village with modern buildings.

We’ve come a long way from blackboards and chalk. Modern technology (技术) has provided us with lots of ways we can make learning more interesting. Perhaps most importantly of all, it’s also more interactive (互动).

Some kinds of tools have been developed. They make the 21st century learning experience much more interactive and interesting. Attracting the attention of students is always difficult, but these tools have made a big difference in how pupils learn.

For example, an interactive whiteboard is different from a traditional chalkboard. It allows the teachers to show images and provide sounds as well. If you imagine a large computer screen with colorful images and sounds added in, you can see why so many pupils are drawn in by what they see and hear in a modern classroom.

Various audio (声音的) tools also help to make sure that everyone can hear what the teacher has to say. In the past, if a teacher said something that a child missed, perhaps the child was too timid (胆小的) or nervous to ask them to repeat it. Now they are less likely to miss out simply because they’re sitting too far away from the teacher to hear them.

The 21st century classroom is able to teach pupils more than one thing. For example, imagine a history lesson is given in a modern classroom. How is it different from a classroom setting in the past? The answer is simple. The students will not only learn about history itself, they will also learn how to use the modern equipment (设备) that helps the teacher get their messages across.

Modern technology can make teaching and learning easier. Student response (应答) system makes everyone able to express their opinions or answers without having to speak up. Since everyone can do it, the teacher can see who needs more help in other ways.

It’s clear that this kind of classroom technology is making a great difference in modern classrooms.

1.Modern technology ______ .

A. is less interactiveB. makes learning more boring

C. only uses blackboards and chalkD. provides us with many better learning ways

2.The interactive whiteboard ________ .

A. allows the teachers to show images and sounds as well

B. can’t attract pupils’ attention in the class

C. is the same as traditional chalkboard

D. is a computer screen with only black and white images

3.How can the various audio tools help in learning?

A. It makes sure that everyone is less likely to miss what the teachers say.

B. It makes the timid students brave enough to ask teachers to repeat what they say.

C. It helps teachers to speak as much as they can.

D. It can only repeat what the teachers say.

4.What can you imagine a modern classroom different from the one setting the past?

A. Students can learn all subjects with modern technology except History.

B. Teachers don’t have to be in the class.

C. Students can express their ideas more freely.

D. Teachers have to ask students who needs more help one by one.

5.In the last paragraph, the underlined phrase “making a great difference” means “______”.

First, reading is fun. You can always keep yourself happy if you like reading. You will never feel bored or tired.

Next, you can read a book almost anywhere---in a car, on a plane, or even in the bathroom. All you need is a book!

Another good reason for reading is that it is useful. If you read as a hobby, you will get better and better at it. And you will read faster and find it easier to understand what you read. As your reading skills improve, you will probably find your schoolwork becomes much better.

Some people say that reading is out of date. This is not true. You can read on computers, and the better you read, the better your computer skills will be.

Good readers may become writers too. They always have more things to write about.

If you wish to become a good reader, here are four important points to remember about speed of reading:

Knowing why you are reading---what you are reading to find out---will often help you to know whether to read quickly or slowly.

Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are instructions for making or doing something, solving math problems, and science and history books, which are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important idea.

Some things should be read quickly throughout. Examples are simple stories for enjoyment, letters from friends and news from local newspapers, which tell what was happening to friends and neighbors.

In some of your reading, you must change your speed from fast to slow or from slow to fast as you go along. You need to read certain pages quickly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which must be remembered.

1.You can read a book ________.

A. almost anywhereB. when you are driving a car

C. only on a planeD. only when you feel bored or tired

2.Which of the following reasons is NOT true that reading is a good hobby?

A. It is fun.B. You can read almost anywhere.

C. It is out of date.D. It can help you improve your computer skills.

3.According to the passage, your reading speed depends on _______.

A. how much time you haveB. where you do the reading

C. the writer of the bookD. what and why you are reading

4.If you want to read for fun and relaxation, you should read _______.

A. an instruction bookB. letters from friends

C. a book full of math problemsD. a history book full of important information

5.What is the writer trying to tell us according the last four paragraphs?

A. How to be a good reader.B. How to read books quickly.

C. How to have fun by reading.D. How to choose your reading materials.

Lao Men Dong (also known as East Zhonghua Gate Historical Culture Block) is a well-known place of interest in Qinhuai District, Nanjing. It is not big, but has attracted visitors of the whole city and the whole country as well.

To the south of Confucius Temple, the block is not far from Qinhuai River. Over twenty years ago, it was only a small block full of old houses and dirty, narrow roads. There were not many shops or public services. Most of the people living there were either too old or too poor to move. Things have changed since 2010s. Because of the regulatory plan, the residence (原居民) have moved to other newly-built communities. The government has also built many clean and neat roads. A couple of old-fashioned houses have also been renewed. Both local and foreign businesses have settled down here, such as Librairie Avant-grade (先锋书店) and Starbucks. You can also try some other local snacks and pay a visit to the art museums.

Lao Men Dong is developing so fast that it has become an outstanding landmark of Nanjing’s culture.

“Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao?” says Li Wei, 26, a reporter in Shanghai. Taobao, China’s largest online shopping website, has become a(n) ______ part of Li Wei’s life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.

A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Li have found the ______ of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young people. ______ women shop online than men. Clothing and home-use products (产品) are the most popular online.

It was reported that more than 250 billion yuan was ______ on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao. Taobao means “______ treasure” in Chinese. People can find almost ______ they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to bicycles.

Shopping online makes shopping easier, because you don’t have to walk from one shop to another. But you may question the ______ of online shopping. It’s natural because some online sellers are ______. They don’t offer good things. With the help of Taobao, you ______ worry about it. Unless you ______ the products from the sellers and find nothing wrong, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the products.